The outburst began when Hasselbeck mentioned Monica Lewinsky in a discussion about presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s Mormon religion and how a small sect of Mormons still practice polygamy.

The Monica reference triggered an avalanche of reaction from Whoopi Goldberg – and then Barbara.

“This is a good woman who has gotten a masters degree at the London School of Economics!” raged Walters, poking her finger at Hasselbeck’s face. She pulled her hand back suddenly, took a flustered breath, and continued in a calmer tone.

“She’s doing her best to have a life. Enough with Monica, everybody can move on.”

Goldberg requested that Hasselbeck – a conservative who famously clashed with Rosie O’Donnell last season – not bring Lewinsky up again.

“I’m asking you to do me a favor because there’s no reason for it today,” Goldberg said. “This has nothing to do with Bill Clinton.”

Goldberg is a longstanding friend and fundraiser for the Clintons.

Hasselbeck justified mentioning Lewinsky because the women were joking about Romney one day announcing he had a second wife.

“You’re worried if some other woman would come out of the closet as the ‘other woman,’ ” Hasselbeck sputtered. “It’s not that much of a jump” to Monica.

“We’ve seen that before where another woman popped up” in the White House, she said.